Changeable gear.



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(Application led Aug. 27, 1900.)

(No Model.)

TIE-JF:

TIL- ALIE- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. r

CHRISTIAN A. RITTMAN, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO.

CHANG EABLE G EAR.

SPECIFICATION forming- ]oart of Letters Patent No. 682,861, dated September 17, 1 901.

Application iiled August 27, 1900.l Serial No. 28,100. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that LCHEISTIAN A.RI'rTMAN,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sandusky, county of Erie, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and nsefulImprovement in'Ohangeable Gears, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to devices for changing the speed in gears; and it consists of means hereinafter fully described.

The annexed drawings and following description set forth in detail one mode of carrying out myinvention, such disclosed means constituting but one of various forms in which the principle of said invention may be used.

Figure I represents a front elevation of a device embodying my said invention. Figs. II and III represent enlarged detail perspective views. Fig. IV represents a partial front elevational and axial sectional view of the parts shown in Figs. II and III.

A iiat disk A, Fig. I, is provided upon its face with a series of teeth arranged upon the circumference of circles of varyin g diameters,

such circles in the device illustrated being concentric, and is suitably mounted so as to be rotatable upon its axis. A shaft B is suitably mounted and has itsaxis of rotation angularly located with respect to the axis of rotation of said disk, such angular relation in the device illustrated in said gure being right angular. Said shaft B is'provided with a longitudinal feather groove b, as shown. Mounted upon said shaft is a sleeve C, whose inner surface is provided with a feather c2, capable of engaging the groove b in the shaft B, thereby effecting the rotative engagement of the sleeve and shaft, at the same time permitting of their relative movement in the direction of their coincident axes. Secured to the sleeve at one end is a pinion part O', whose teeth are capable of engaging the teeth of the several series on the face of the disk A. Mounted upon said sleeve and contiguous to the pinion part C is a second pinion part O2, provided with a cylindrical depression upon its inner surface whose periphery is provided with a series of spring-actuated pawls c3, adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet-wheel c', secured to or is a part of part C', as shown in Fig. IV. 4The combined Width of the pinion comprising the two pini ion parts O C2 is made greater than the distance between any two consecutive series of teeth as measured upon a radius of the disk A, whereby it is seen that either one or the other of said pinion parts engages a series of teeth at all times.

In the description of the operation of the above-described device I will assume the disk A to be the driving and the shaft B to be the driven member, and the direction of rotation of the driver to be that indicated by the ar row shown in Fig. I. Such being the case, it

is seen that the speed of rotation of the pinion part C' is greater than that of the pinion part O2 when each part is engaging one o f two contiguous series of teeth and that the part C2 will hence lag behind. Such dierence of movement is permitted as a result of 'the rotative mounting of part O2, such rotation being, however, permitted in but one direction by the ratchet-teeth and paWls. The direction of rotation of said part C2 upon the sleeve C must hence be in a direction opposite that of the direction of driving of the pinion. It is hence seen that during such engagement by both pinion parts part C2 becomes idle and part C becomes the sole driver intermediate of the yshaft and disk. When, however, the two-part pinion is placed in a position such that only part C2 engages thev disk-teeth, such partI becomes the driver by engaging the ratchet-wheel c through the medium of the pawls o3, part C having its teeth located in a space intermediate of two adjacent series of teeth, and hence rotating with and at the same speed as the part G2. When part C' solely engages teeth and the teeth of part C2 are located in such intermediate space, such latter part is inoperative and rotates at the same speed as does said part C. Any

suitable means may be provided for shifting the position of the pinion upon the shaft, so as to engage different sets of teeth.

When it is desired to reverse the direction of rotation of the shaft, it is but necessary to shift said pinion to that portion of the shaft located upon thev side of the axis of rotation of the disk opposite that shown in Fig.

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I, the direction of movement of the diskteeth being in the opposite direction on such side. In such position it is seen that the direction of rotation of the part C2 upon the sleeve is the same as that of the direction of driving of the pinion, part C2 being driven at the higher rate of speed when both pinion parts simultaneously engage two adjacent series of teeth, respectively. In the case of such reverse movement it is seen that when such two pinion parts simultaneously engage, as described, part C2 being driven at a higher rate of speed than part C, such part C)2 is caused to advance relatively to part C', such advance being permitted inasmuch as it has the same direction of movement of Which part C2 is capable upon. the shaft.

It will be understood that the above-described device maybe modified, so as to per mit the shaft B to constitute the driving and the disk A to be the driven member. In such case it is only necessary to interchange the locations of the two pinion parts, as will be readily understood. Where it is desired to eect the opposite rotation in either ot' the aboveedescribed cases, it is merely necessary to construct the ratchet-Wheel c and to locate the paWls c3 so as to permit the rotatable part C2 to rotate in the direction opposite that above described.

Other modes of applying the principle of myinvention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed provided the means covered by any one of the following claims be employed. 't

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my inventionl. 'Ihe combination of a rotatable disk provided upon its face with a series of spaced teeth arranged in concentric circles of dierent diameters, a rotatable shaft having its axis of rotation angularly located relatively to that of said disk, and a two-part pinion movable bodily longitudinally of the shaft adapted to engage said teeth, said parts being held against a separating movement axially, one pinion part being carried by and rotatable with said shaft, the other part being rotatable relatively to the first-mentioned part, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a rotatable disk provided upon its face with a series of spaced teeth arranged in concentric circles of different diameters, a rotatable shaft having its axis of rotation angularly located relatively to that of said disk, and a two-part pinion movable bodily longitudinally of the shaft adapted to engage said teeth, said parts being held against a separating movement axially, one pinion part being carried by and rotatable with said shaft, the other part being rotatable relatively to the first-mentioned part in one direction only, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a rotatable disk provided upon its face with a series of spaced teeth arranged in concentric circles of different diameters, a rotatable shaft having its axis of rotation angularly located relatively to that of said disk, and a two-part pinion adapted to engage said teeth, said parts being held against a separating movement axially, one pinion part being rotatable relatively to the other, the latter being held against rotating movement relative to said shaft, and means connecting the first-named part and the shaft through the second-named part.

4. The combination of a rotatable disk pro= vided upon its face with a series of spaced teeth arranged in concentric circles, a shaft having its axis of rotation angularly located relatively to that of said disk, and a twoepart pinion mounted upon said shaft, one pinion part being held against rotatable movement relative to said shaft, and a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism carried by the other part and adapted to have engagement With said firstnamed part and the shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a rotatable disk provided upon its face with a series of spaced teeth arranged in concentric circles, a shaft having its axis of rotation angularly located relatively to that of said disk, and a two-part pinion mounted upon and movable bodily longitudinally relatively to said shaft, one

pinion part being held against rotatable movement relative to said shaft and the other part rotatable upon said first-named part, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 20th day of August, 1900.

CHRISTIAN A. RITTMAN.

Witnesses:

FRED W. SEHER, ELsIE CRosIER.

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